title: Is sonothrombolysis an effective stroke treatment?
abstract: New therapeutic strategies under development aim to improve recanalization rates and clinical outcomes after ischemic stroke. One such approach is ultrasound (US)-enhanced thrombolysis, or sonothrombolysis, which can improve thrombolytic drug actions and even intrinsic fibrinolysis. Although the mechanisms are not fully understood, it is postulated that thrombolysis enhancement is related to nonthermal mechanical effects of US. Recent results indicate that US with or without microbubbles may be effective in clot lysis of ischemic stroke even without additional thrombolytic drugs. Sonothrombolysis is a promising tool for treating acute ischemic stroke, but its efficacy, safety, and technical details have not been elucidated and proved yet in stroke treatment.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, and School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 6 Subotica Dr, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. milijamijajlovic@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Milija D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mijajlovic
authors.forename: Aleksandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pavlovic
authors.forename: Nadezda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Covickovic-Sternic
mesh_terms: D018274:Electroporation / Q000379:methods*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D013010:Sonication / Q000379:methods*; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents
keywords: acute ischemic stroke; efficacy; mechanisms of action; safety; sonothrombolysis